I have a 45 mile one way drive to work every day and about 38 miles of it is back country roads.

 

i live in labrador where these roads are everywhere outside of town limits and they stretch on for miles. i was thinking of this pseudo rally car civic idea because gravel and dirt are fun. used to travel sideways down these roads in my 98 sierra all the time, til i spent all my money on gas instead of repairs. still running but it feels weak.

 

I have to agree that the Psuedo Rally Car Civic (PRCC?) has been at the back of my mind for some time. I was able to get out and about in West Virginia on some paved, semi-paved and gravel roads a couple of months back, and, although I had fun, I noticed a few shortcomings in my stock DX:

1. A lot of front wheel hop under acceleration on uneven road surfaces.
2. Lack of power.
3. Lack of traction on the inner wheel.

I know these can all be solved by upgrading springs, shocks, stabilizer bars, CAI, exhaust and an LSD. I've been surprised by the lack of information out there on Honda rally efforts. Anyone else find anything?

 

I too would like info on upgrades that could benefit this type of driving. my truck was cool but it is a long bed reg. cab so oversteer was a common trait. Thanks civicstealth for identifying your vehicles traits so that i can identify and work on those. i'd love to build a PRCC (turbo and all). that would be heaven...covered in ice cream.

 

My DX is totally stock, and the first thing I'm looking at is new tires and perhaps new wheels--there's a lot of information in these forums about tire and wheel choices, but all of them are for street use (unless I missed something).

I've decided to stay with the 14 inch wheels for the PRCC, for a few reasons. First, smaller wheels are lighter--this is good in any situation, but especially with an "underpowered" car. Second, smaller wheels with a given gear ratio allow more torque to be put to the ground--imporant in low traction environments, I think, like gravel and dirt. Third, smaller wheels are cheaper, as are the tires that fit on them, lowering replacement costs.

So, I'm sticking with my OEM steelies for now, and I'm trying to find the widest all season/weather performanc tires I can find. Ideally, I can get a second set of wheels to put some good mud/snow tires on (Blizzak Blizzards?) for really sloppy conditions.

Next step will be to get some stiff anti-sway bars front and rear, for flatter cornering. There's also a stabilizer bar you can get to reduce wheel hop. I think my stock springs, which have a lot of travel in them, are good, but I need to do something about the shocks--my wheels really hop on uneven gravel surfaces. What do you think?

Let me know if you come across any other resources for Civics in Rallying.

 

I don't know much about strut bars or tie bars. but would putting them on a vehicle destined to be driven off road be the smartest idea. or would the added rigidity of the frame and chassis now make a much more solid yet comfortable ride? any info will be appreciated!

 

here's a guy that rally races a eg hatch and the stock wheels are a great choice you might consider vx wheels they are 13's and hx wheels they are 14's they are alloy's and they are real light weight here's the web site oh i'm thinking about rally racing too http://www.mattjohnstonrally.com/

 

when i went up to forty's house last weekend i took a different route than last time. i went up MI-37 instead of taking the boring highway and this road was fun to travel on. it had hills and a couple of turns, but better yet it was just fun goin 60 mph with the windows down on a beautiful day

 

Oh, yeah!! Done it multiple times on my motorcycle. Never drove it on four wheels though.

For clarification, it's Hwy 129 south of Knoxville, TN and it runs into western North Carolina You can pick it up well south of Knoxville so you don't have to deal with the city itself if you don't want to. Also, it's 318 curves in 11 miles, not 117. About the only negative thing about it is the fact that it's popular and I've had a few runs that had "large" trucks on it. Why they let near 18-wheeler sized vehicles on this road is beyond me but that's how it is. If you can get to it during the middle of the week, it's a lot better. There's a small camp ground with tourist trap convenience store right after you cross the boarder into North Carolina. You can get gas, food, suveniers, etc., there. There's also a bullitin board called the "Wall of Shame." It's covered in pictures of all those who "didn't" survive the "Dragon!" Most of them are motorcyclists but the four wheeled contingient is also represented. Last time I was there, they had an 8x10 picture, posted right in the middle, of one of the local law enforcement folks who failed to make one of the turns while "trying" to keep up with an experienced 2-wheeler. The cop wasn't hurt but his patrol car wound up several hundred yards down the embankment. It was "too" funny!

If you go there, Drive Safe,
Steve R.

 

werrrrd, 37 makes for a real nice "relaxing" drive. But the next time you come up here, my car will be running strong, and I'll have you follow me through one of my favorite roads in the area. Twisties, abrupt elevation shanges with turns in the middle. Definitely fun